The issue of Tanzania-Malawi conflict over lake Nyasa border is to be discussed basing on facts and reality rather than wishful thinking and nationalistic attitude. The Tanzanian-Malawi border on Lake Nyasa was put in 1890 by Germany and British colonial masters representing colonial Nyasaland and Tanganyika in the famous Heligoland Treaty. Germany by then was more concerned with the acquisition of strategic Heligoland in North Sea that they put less concern over their possession over East Africa that they readily forfeit Witu along the cost of Kenya neither bothered with anomalies over Nyasaland-Tanganyika border on the lake Nyasa.
After the defeat of the Axis powers (Germany and others) by Allied powers (Britain and others) in the 1st WW Germany lost all of her colonies. Tanganyika fell to Britain as Trusteeship Territory. There fore both Nyasaland and Tanganyika were ruled by one colonial power, therefore the issue of rectifying the Tanganyika-Nyasaland border over lake Nyasa was never raised up. However, Mozambique (Portuguese) which was affected like us in the 1890 Heligoland treaty their border over lake Nyasa was changed to pass through the center of the lake.
However, we are responsible for the extension of the problem. In 1963 our leaders agreed to the OAU resolution on colonial boundary sanctity. By using simple language those who represent our country in that meeting agreed to preserve the boundaries left by colonial master while knowing the issue over lake Nyasa and in fact we use this weapon when on of our neighbor country demanded that Mt Kilimanjaro was not ours.
Only two countries in Africa Somalia and Morocco declined to comply with OAU colonial boundary sanctity, on the ground that their territorial integrity was incomplete. Morocco was demanding Western Sahara which by 1963 was still under Spanish colonial rule and Samalia was demanding for the Somali Land which by 1963 was still under British colonial rule. If we could have raised the issue then perhaps by now the problem at hand could have been solved as that of Samalia and the issue of Western Sahara, who have been given mandate by the UN to decide over their fate.
We lost that chance and here we are.We have justice but not supported by law. Malawi knows about this that is why they are pressing the matter to be address by The ICJ. They know that the verdict will be against us, as the examples of case of Nigeria vs Cameroon and that of Ethiopia vs Eritrea to mention the few. Can we come to our senses and find amicable ways of dealing with the problem at hand? I submit.